Learning how to become the most wonderful erotica author in the world is a prickly, pokey journey. One thing I’ve turned to during this agonizing trip is eBook titles on Amazon written by successful erotica authors, about the craft and strategy of marketing your beloved work about orgies and tiddies and the like.
I’m not going to name names, but I was saddened, bummed, outraged, and disappointed by a recent Amazon title about making a fast buck on erotica buyers by exploiting unusual fetishes, writing 2-3 pages on it, and selling the title for an outrageous amount of money considering the work involved ($2.99 for 2 shitty pages, seriously?!).
A tactic used by this self-proclaimed terrible writer is to post on message boards in fetish communities, advertising their own title. Because there is often no written material and limited filmed pornographic material about the fetish, the community buys the work and suffers through the writing of a snake who (I am making an assumption here) sells fake Louis Vuitton as their full-time career.
Number One: Respect Fetishes
One of the fetishes listed in the eBook is Chremastistophilia, which is the state of arousal caused by being held up or robbed. I don’t actually want to be robbed, mind you, but I am all about masturbating myself into oblivion because some huge-dicked hunk breaks my window, bones me, and then cuddles me before he steals my TV.
The author says, and I’m paraphrasing, that there is always some sicko out there who will buy your work. Is that a perspective you want from someone who writes your erotica? Would you want your doctor to say “there’s always some nasty pervert out there who’s going to catch strep”? Or a chef at a restaurant saying “there’s always some low-down slut who is going to eat these nasty French fries which I’ve covered in garlic sauce”?
People have fetishes. They may be very different from your #1 favorite missionary position, but you need to respect them. I came out of the womb with Chremastistophilia, and that’s okay. A part of the safety of erotica is that you can explore your fantasies without judgement, and without exploitation. Insulting other people’s fetishes while catering to them in order to milk $2.99 is offensive and grody.
Number Two: Respect Erotica Authors
I know so many erotica authors from Twitter who work their buns off to write and edit quality work. They are always working to become better authors and sell better eBooks. Even though yes indeed, sex sells, they are still passionate about what they write. Money is always a factor! Everyone in town knows that I want to buy a hot tub! But that also comes second to my genuine interest in the challenge of writing erotica.
When an erotica author is proudly exploitative in the marketplace, it hurts those authors who are elevating the craft every day with each piece of writing they produce.
Respect that while you are out there selling your own vomit in a Ziploc bag, authors of every level and from every background are working their asses off to produce great work.
Number Three: Go Get Fudged
Authors who exploit something so personal as a fetishes are not artists. They are lobotomized Thomas Kinkades, peddling cottages with dicks on them. If you are going to write erotica and make money out of it, that’s fine. But don’t do it while insulting the people who purchase these works, looking for something to satisfy their own god-given needs.
Do I claim ownership over every fetish that I write about? No. But I also accept the challenge of adopting that perspective with all of the love and empathy any writer would use handling a fictional topic.
In short: I want to get people off, not rip people off.
What is your perspective on this? Have you read the book I’m talking about? Do you share resentment for other authors who try similar tactics? Tell me in the comments so that we can unite or launch into personal warfare. (I will win.)
Mintie Price 